Get started in 30 minutes
Set aside a weekly planning session of 30 to 60 minutes. Decide meals, check the pantry, and make a shopping list organized by store sections.
What to decide
- 3–4 dinners and 1–2 lunches
- Two breakfasts and simple snacks
- Staples to restock: grains, oils, spices
Practical workflow
Build repeating elements you can combine. This reduces daily decisions and speeds up cooking.
- Theme nights to limit choices and simplify shopping
- Batch cook bases: grains, roasted vegetables, a protein
- Double recipes and freeze portions for busy days
- Prep one evening for quick assembly later in the week
- Label containers with contents and date
Simple weekly schedule
- Cook a large dinner to create leftovers
- Use leftovers for next-day lunches
- Midweek: cook a fast grain or roast vegetables
- One session for salads and snack prep
- End-of-week: review, toss what’s gone off, write a short shopping list
Try this system for two weeks, note what you repeat, and keep the elements that save time. Small predictable steps make in-week cooking less stressful.
Tags
Life Hack